The present invention relates generally to protective packaging for light bulbs, and more particularly, to a one-piece protective display packaging for various size light bulbs.
In the past, light bulb manufacturers have used various disposable means for shipping and/or displaying light bulbs. This packaging has been a compromise between cost of manufacture and assembly, the degree of protection for the light bulb(s), and/or commercial effectiveness of the display.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,481 discloses a one-piece package particularly adapted for light bulbs having pointed ends. Another one-piece carton for incandescent electric globes is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,913, but which is less protective as at least a portion of the globe is in contact with the outer, wrapped panel. A more complex two-piece carton is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,921, which avoids bulb contact with the outer panels, but which is more expensive to manufacture and assemble around a light bulb.
Another short coming of at least some of said prior art is to allow an unscrupulous consumer to easily switch a larger for a smaller bulb between price-marked packages, paying a lower price for the larger bulb.
Other inventions for displaying and/or packaging other fragile glass articles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,018,335; 4,099,612; and 2,015,222.
The present invention, however, provides a one-piece structure made from a blank or pre-cut sheet of relatively rigid, yet flexible, paperboard or the like which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble around a light bulb while providing both maximum protection and a unique display shape which virtually prevents bulb size switching.